When Disney+ first launched in 2019, it cost just $6.99 a month. It offered an incredible value proposition, especially compared to its streaming rival, Netflix. However, Starting next month, current subscribers who want it without ads will pay $21.49, roughly three times as much.
According to a Bloomberg report, Disney is raising prices on most of its Disney+ and Hulu plans. New subscribers pay the higher rates right away. If you’re already subscribed, the new price will show up on your next monthly bill.
Ad-free viewers take the biggest hit
So how much more will you pay? The biggest jump hits the ad-free plans. Disney+ Premium and Hulu Premium are each going from $18.99 to $21.49 a month. That’s an extra $30 a year for each service. If you pay for both ad-free services separately, you’re looking at $5 more a month, or $60 more a year.
The cheaper plans with ads are going up by 50 cents, from $11.99 to $12.49 a month. The ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle climbs $2 to $21.99. Some ESPN bundles are going up too, including one ad-free combo that jumps $3 to $32.99.
Disney’s most popular plan did escape the hike, though. The Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads stays at $12.99 a month.
Disney+ has raised prices every year since 2022
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time. Disney+ went up to $7.99 in 2021, then to $10.99 in late 2022. Since then, the ad-free price has gone up every fall. It hit $13.99 in 2023, $15.99 in 2024, and $18.99 last year. Had that original $6.99 price simply kept up with inflation, it would be about $9.10 today.
Disney isn’t alone, either. Netflix’s top plan now costs 125% more than it did in 2013. If you pay for Disney+ and Hulu separately, now is a good time to look at the bundle. Getting both together costs only 50 cents more a month than paying for one on its own, with or without ads. You can check which plan you’re on, and when your next bill is due, in the account section of the Disney+ app or website.
And if the last few years are any indication, it’s probably not going to stop at $21.49.